Ready, Set, Go---Not!

I started dreading today since last Friday. We had a nice winter vacation, but it wasn't long enough. Our So. Cal. trip was so exhausting I came home and slept through the next three days. Then Chee had a stomach flu for four days. In summary, we didn't do all the fun things I had envisioned: baking, building puzzles, playing games, hiking, painting. All we did was sleep in, play computer games, watch videos, read until late, and sleep in again. So I knew First Day of School would be hard-going--not just for them, for me, especially.

This morning they got up at nine. It wasn't bad considering they'd been sleeping til 11 last week. We finally started school around 10:30. That wasn't bad, either. By 11, however, my voice gave out. I guess all the staying up late had taken its toll. It's also possible my vocal chord is out of shape from not being in school. (Reading a lot to your kids can be really hard on your throat.) So I sent them off to seat work. From there they have not returned. In our house, seat work is a bit like wandering in the forest. When you tell them, "Go." They can be gone for hours, and you'll have no idea where they are and when they'll be back.

At some point this afternoon, maybe I'll collect my children from their wanderings and give them lunch. I'm thinking we'll cut the day short and do some painting. I'm just not ready to get too productive yet.